3.1 Phillip Lim Finds the 'Origins of Its Joy' for its 20th Anniversary Collection

There’s a lot to celebrate when a fashion brand reaches 20 years of business — especially as it becomes a milestone fewer labels are able to attain. Naturally, 3.1 Phillip Lim leaned into this joy for its Spring 2025 collection, which also happened to mark two decades of the brand.

“This show is dedicated to joy,” designer Phillip Lim told Fashionista backstage on Sunday. “I feel like we all need to really engage with that again, especially in this climate and fashion as a whole. When I started, it was about making clothes for myself and my friends, and then along the way, it was like, ‘Who are we making things for?’ It kind of got a little blurry there. With this collection, I want to take it back to where we make clothes for ourselves and we make clothes for our community.”

With 20 years of work to reflect on, Lim wasn’t shy about getting retrospective: He pulled inspiration from “all the things [he] loves from [his] life.” He incorporated an array of textures with juxtaposing undertones including denim, camouflage and lace, all referencing different points of his journey. He also incorporated rosette appliqué motifs, an archival tribute to his Spring 2007 collection.

“I have been reflecting upon these early memories of joy as of late, perhaps an innate push against the present, complicated world and my desire to find my way back,” the show notes read. “Today, we return to why we love fashion and the joy of crafting clothes that my team and I present with pure passion, creativity and pleasure.”

Though the collection is celebratory one, Lim was transparent about how “tough” it is navigating the current industry landscape, even more so as an independent brand. Still, he champions “the independent brands, voices and talents” because, to him, “they really are the true narrative of the fashion industry.”

“They really move it forward because you’re able to do what you want. The lesson I always say is to balance cool and commerce, because the more independent you stay, the more freedom you have.”

See all the looks from 3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2025 below.

3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2025. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight